“I’ll be back” - Gary Woodland gets emotional after crashing out of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii

Although Gary Woodland crashed out of the Sony Open in Hawaii early, he was optimistic about making a stronger comeback in the future.

The Sony Open is Woodland's first start since undergoing brain surgery in September. However, the return didn't go as planned, as he missed the cut after shooting a pair of 71s in the first two rounds.

Reflecting on his two rounds at Waialae Country Club, Woodland got a bit emotional:

"No matter how hard things are, no matter how bad it gets, if you believe, if you surround yourself with the right people, you can overcome. It's a message that I'll remind my kids when I get home. It's been a hard time for me, and I was able to overcome it. I'll be back."

Last September, the 2019 US Open champion underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor he was diagnosed with last year.

He had said that after initially being treated with the medication, he decided to undergo surgery. The Wyndham Championship was his last start of the 2022–23 season.

Reflecting on his game, Woodland said that his focus and energy were the best he had in a year. Although he was disappointed after missing the cut, the week was more than that.

"Golf game was rusty," he was quoted as saying via NBC Sports. "Saw a lot of good things, but I was rusty scoring-wise.

"The goal coming into this week was to see where I was mentally. It was beautiful. Really was. It was the best week that I've had on a golf course in a long, long time."

The 39-year-old golfer added that, at one point, he didn't even know if he could play again:

"I was a good week for me from a mental standpoint. I needed to be mentally sharp to get where I want to be in the world. It's coming back."

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Where will Gary Woodland play next?

The four-time PGA Tour winner will take a week off and next compete at the Farmers Insurance Open, which takes place from January 24 to 27 at the Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego, California. Last year, he finished tied 62nd at the Torrey Pines.

Gary Woodland made 18 cuts in 24 starts in the 2022–23 season and registered six top-25 finishes. The T9 finish at the Genesis Invitational was his best performance last year.

He finished 94th in the FedEx Cup, which meant the end of his 12-year streak of making it to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Here's a look at Woodland's performance in the 2022–23 season:

• Fortinet Championship: T64
• Sanderson Farms Championship: CUT
• Shriners Children's Open: W/D
• The CJ Cup: T67
• Cadence Bank Houston Open: T9
• Sony Open in Hawaii: CUT
• Farmers Insurance Open: T62
• WM Phoenix Open: T42
• The Genesis Invitational: T9
• Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard: CUT
• THE PLAYERS Championship: T54
• Valspar Championship: T45
• Masters Tournament: T14
• RBC Heritage: T31
• Mexico Open at Vidanta: T39
• Wells Fargo Championship: T14
• PGA Championship: CUT
• the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday: T24
• U.S. Open: T49
• Travelers Championship: T33
• Genesis Scottish Open: T25
• The Open Championship: T55
• 3M Open: CUT
• Wyndham Championship: T27